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‘Our biggest year yet,’ says Sunfest organizer

Country music's popularity helps music festival keep growing
New_C7-0731-McGraw_2.jpg
Tim McGraw is one of the headliners at this weekendÕs Sunfest music festival.

What: Sunfest music festival featuring Tim McGraw, George Canyon, Jake Owen, Dean Brody, Aaron Pritchett and more

When: Thursday through Sunday

Where: Cowichan Exhibition Society Fair Grounds, 7380 Trans-Canada Hwy., Duncan

Tickets: $30 (Thursday), $85 (Friday), $75 (Saturday), $95 (Sunday) or $180 (weekend pass)

 

Camping is sold out, on-site parking is sold out and it appears that every tier of tickets will eventually be sold out, too.

But there’s still time — at least for the moment — to take in what is becoming one of the biggest festivals on Vancouver Island.

“This is definitely going to be our biggest year yet,” said Charlotte Fisher of Wideglide Entertainment, the Duncan-based company that produces Sunfest. “Without a doubt.”

The four-day Sunfest Music Festival gets underway tonight, with sets by local favourites Bucko & Toad and the Roper Show, among others. By the time Sunfest winds down Sunday, it is expected that roughly 15,000 fans will have been on site each day for the headlining acts booked Friday through Sunday.

The all-star roster of talent this year includes Tim McGraw, George Canyon, Jake Owen, Dean Brody, Aaron Pritchett and more. The quality of its artistic offerings is such that a full sell-out is expected.

“If somebody wants to come and see Tim McGraw on Sunday, they shouldn’t wait to get their tickets at the door,” Fisher said.

“They might be disappointed.”

Last year’s event, which included headliners Alan Jackson and Chad Brownlee, also sold out. But thanks to a few on-site adjustments, including the placement of the main stage, which has been set at a different angle to allow more room, the capacity has been increased slightly this year — setting the stage for a breakout season.

The festival has been climbing steadily since 2010, when it made the switch from rock to country music. There has been no looking back, Fisher said.

The popularity of U.S. country music is through the roof at the moment, which helps. According to Forbes magazine, three of the 10 best-selling albums in the United States last year were by country artists. Country star Toby Keith earned $65 million in 2013, with Taylor Swift close behind at $64 million.

“Every awards show you see has some kind of country crossover,” Fisher said. “Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters played with the Zac Brown Band at the Grammys. How does that work? But it does.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt when acts appearing at Sunfest are included among the buzz. Jake Owens, who headlines Friday night, has a hit, Beachin’, occupying the No. 6 spot on the U.S. country singles chart, while McGraw is at No. 11 with his hit, Meanwhile Back at Mama’s.

“I can confidently say that, as of this year, we are the première country festival this side of the Rockies,” Fisher said. “We’re the country show around here.”

On-site camping has been sold out since March, Fisher said. With more than 1,300 campsites each capable of holding up to eight people, the Cowichan Exhibition Society Fair Grounds will be transformed through the weekend. Among the services being brought in for Sunfest are shower trucks, which allow attendees to get clean from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and a marketplace that will have everything from jewelry to motorcycles.

“We have a city that is going to be moving in,” Fisher said. “You can buy a hat, you can buy apple jelly, you can buy a new RV. You can buy just about anything you want in there.”

The festival’s shuttle service has expanded to include Victoria and Nanaimo, the two cities that supply Sunfest with the majority of its audience, according to Fisher. The festival has a strong off-Island reach, too. Tickets for this year’s event have been sold to buyers in Australia, Germany and Belgium.

That reach extends to acts wanting to be on the Sunfest bill.

“We had artists applying [to play] this year from France, Wales, Poland. When we say people are applying from around the world, they really are.”

Though the scope is global, Fisher said Wideglide Entertainment is dedicated to the area that supports it year-round. Last year, the festival gave $34,000 to the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds fund, to help improve the Sunfest site. It also contributed upwards of $15,000 to the regional branch of the MS Society of Canada; everything from area hospitals to youth hockey teams have been helped through the festival’s success.

That falls in line with the country music mentality, Fisher added.

“We really want to give back to the community when we can.”

mdevlin@timescolonist.com